Dental receptionist Toni brings a smile to patients' faces

And it’s a motto which is working wonders for Toni who has been nominated for a Sunderland Echo Health award.

The lead receptionist at Olivers Dental Studio in Durham Road East, in Herrington, Sunderland, is in the running in the customer service category after a nomination which described her as “an absolute asset.”

It added: “Toni defines the meaning of going the extra mile, no matter what she is always happy to help. Toni is the most positive person I have ever met and has such a fantastic outlook on life.”

She has been at the dental practice for 13 years and admitted: “For someone to have nominated me, I am blown away. It really had made my day.”

Toni is the first point of contact for the public and for the staff. Her role, she said, was to oversee patients from new arrivals to those who are regulars.

“I make sure that their journey is smooth. Any questions or concerns, they come and see me and I look after them.

“Everyone says I am a happy person and I have always had a motto that if I can make one person smile every day, I am in the right job.”

The nomination for Toni added: “It can be very rare to meet someone with so many fantastic qualities.”

The Sunderland Echo Health awards aim is to make this year’s competition bigger and better than ever before.

But to do that, we need your nominations in the categories listed below. That way, we can make the job of the judges so much harder as they attempt to draw up a shortlist.

This year, the competition is being held in association with City Hospitals Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust, with NHS Sunderland Clinical Commissioning Group as partner sponsors and Olivers Dental Studio as category sponsors.

The best contenders will make it to our grand finals at the Stadium of Light in Sunderland on April 14. Before then, you can nominate up to the deadline of March 31.

To nominate your own favourites, either fill in the form on this page or visit www.jpne-events.co.uk.